Post-doctoral position: Improving understanding and modeling of tropical forest carbon uptake in a changing climate
The Terrestrial Ecosystem Science and Technology (TEST) group (http://www.bnl.gov/TEST/) at Brookhaven National Laboratory is seeking a post-doc interested in understanding and reducing model uncertainty associated with projecting the response of tropical forest ecosystems to global change. The successful candidate will work closely with Drs. Serbin and Rogers to: 1) assemble a comprehensive database of plant traits associated with modeling carbon assimilation and respiration in tropical forest ecosystems, 2) develop an independent multi-assumption, multi-scale, mechanistic description of canopy physiology and 3) identify the key modeling assumptions and parameters that lead to variability in model projections of the response of tropical forests to rising temperature and carbon dioxide concentration. The successful candidate will be part of a multidisciplinary, multi- institutional project (NGEE-Tropics) - led by Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory - that brings together a team of scientists seeking to improve the representation of tropical forest ecosystems in Earth System Models. The essential duties and responsibilities of the post-doc include- Data curation, synthesis and management Integrate and run existing process models within an uncertainty quantification environment Computer programming and modifications to existing model code The development, testing, and application of key submodels of carbon uptake and respiration Publish results in peer-review journals and present at scientific conferences Prospective candidates should have- Ph.D. in computer science, plant biology, ecosystem ecology, ecophysiology, or related field Computer programming experience Willingness to work collaboratively in team environments Effective written and oral communication skills Record of publication in high quality internationally recognized journals Preferred Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities: Experience with programming in Fortran, C-based languages, Python, and R, including the ability to work within version control and community development frameworks (e.g. GitHub) Experience working within Linux and High-performance computing (HPC) environments Background in plant biochemistry, physiology, and ecology with a focus on photosynthesis, respiration , and allocation Experience using numerical simulation models to predict carbon fluxes and stocks Experience working within model-data assimilation and uncertainty quantification frameworks Application Process- Applicants should visit the BNL Careers website (http://www.bnl.gov/HR/careers/ ) and search for Job #181 to apply. Review of applications begins on February 2nd, 2015 and the position will remain open until a suitable candidate is identified. Our preferred start date is April 1st, 2015. Brookhaven National Laboratory (BNL) is an equal opportunity employer committed to ensuring that all qualified applicants receive consideration for employment and will not be discriminated against on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, national origin, age, disability, or protected veteran status. BNL takes affirmative action in support of its policy and to advance in employment individuals who are minorities, women, protected veterans, and individuals with disabilities.
